Geographic regions’ locations and physical

characteristics

Coastal Plain

– Located along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf

of Mexico

– Broad lowlands providing many excellent

harbors

Appalachian Highlands

– Located west of the Coastal Plain,

extending from eastern Canada to western

Alabama; includes the Piedmont

– Old, eroded mountains (oldest mountain

range in North America)

Canadian Shield

– Wrapped around the Hudson Bay in a

horseshoe shape

– Hills worn by erosion and hundreds of

lakes carved by glaciers

Interior Lowlands

– Located west of the Appalachian

Mountains and east of the Great Plains

– Rolling flatlands with many rivers, broad

river valleys, and grassy hills

Great Plains

– Located west of the Interior Lowlands and

east of the Rocky Mountains

– Flat lands that gradually increase in

elevation westward; grasslands

Rocky Mountains

– Located west of the Great Plains and east

of the Basin and Range

– Rugged mountains stretching from Alaska

almost to Mexico; high elevations

– Contains the Continental Divide, which

determines the directional flow of rivers

Basin and Range

– Located west of the Rocky Mountains and

east of the Sierra Nevadas and the

Cascades

– Varying elevations containing isolated

mountain ranges and Death Valley, the

lowest point in North America

Coastal Range

– Located along the Pacific Coast, stretching

from California to Canada

Rugged mountains and fertile valleys

Major bodies of water

Oceans: Atlantic, Pacific

Rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Columbia,

Colorado, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence River

Lakes: Great Lakes

Gulf: Gulf of Mexico

Trade, transportation, exploration, and settlement

The Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts of the United

States have provided access to other parts of the

world.

The Atlantic Ocean served as the highway for

explorers, early settlers, and later immigrants.

The Ohio River was the gateway to the west.

Inland port cities grew in the Midwest along the

Great Lakes.

The Mississippi and Missouri rivers were used to

transport farm and industrial products. They were

links to United States ports and other parts of the

world.

The Columbia River was explored by Lewis and

Clark.

The Colorado River was explored by the Spanish.

The Rio Grande forms the border with Mexico.

The Pacific Ocean was an early exploration

destination.

The Gulf of Mexico provided the French and

Spanish with exploration routes to Mexico and

other parts of America.

The St. Lawrence River forms part of the

northeastern border with Canada and connects the

Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Key geographic

features

Water-related

– Lakes

– Rivers

– Tributaries

– Gulfs and bays

Land-related

– Mountains

– Hills

– Plains

– Plateaus

– Islands

– Peninsulas

Geographic features

are related to

patterns of trade

the locations of

cities and towns

the westward

(frontier)

movement

agricultural and

fishing industries.

Continents

North America

South America

Africa

Asia

Australia

Antarctica

Europe*

*Note: Europe is considered a continent even though it is not

entirely surrounded by water. The land mass is frequently

called Eurasia.

Oceans

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Arctic Ocean

Indian Ocean

Southern Ocean

Ch 1:

Geography STANDARD USI.2 The student will use maps, globes, photographs,

pictures, or tables to

a) locate the seven continents and five oceans.

b) locate and describe the location of the geographic regions of North

America: Coastal Plain, Appalachian Mountains, Canadian Shield, Interior

Lowlands, Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, Basin and Range, and Coastal

Range.

c) locate and identify the water features important to the early history of

the United States: Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Missouri River, Ohio

River, Columbia River, Colorado River, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence River,

Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico.

d) recognize key geographic features on maps, diagrams, and/or

photographs.

GEOGRAPHY

1

Brainmapping

10 pictures, 10 terms, 5 colors

2

Vocabulary: Chapter 1

latitude / parallel

lines that circle the Earth and

measure North and South

longitude / meridian

lines that stretch from pole to

pole, and measure East and West

Equator

0 degrees latitude

Prime Meridian

0 degrees longitude

compass rose

the thing on a map that tells you

where the directions are

climate

the weather in an area over

time

region

a large area of land

continent

one of the 7 large land groups

3

4 Using a piece of construction paper, do your best to tear (not cut) out the

continents. Then glue them down and label them.

5

Create a Country

Task: You need to create an imaginary country that does not exist today. You will decide on some

basic information about your “make believe” country and then draw a map that includes many of

the land features we talked about today.

Part One:

Country- at -a –Glance (title)

Country Name:

Location: (on which continent, near what ocean)

Language:

Currency: (type of money)

Flag: (include a picture of the flag)

Type of Government: (monarchy, oligarchy, democracy, theocracy)

Part Two: You need to draw and label a map of your country with the following geographic features.

Give each feature a name. (For example, Lake Kiwai, Gulf of Haymarket, etc.) Make it neat, colorful

and easy to read.

3 lakes

2 rivers with tributaries coming off of them

1 gulf/bay

2 mountain ranges

1 plains area

3 islands

1 peninsula

1 plateau

2 hills

6

GULF

PENINSULA

BAY

MOUNTAIN

TRIBUTARY

PLAINS

LAKE

RIVER HILL

PLATEAU

ISLAND

7

Using the chart on the back, match the geography terms to the correct definition.

1. Peninsula _____ a. a large body of ocean/sea that is partially enclosed by land

2. Hills _____ b. a body of land (smaller than a continent) enclosed by water

3. Lake _____ c. a large body of nearly level elevated land

4. Plateau _____ d. a body of land surrounded on three sides by water

5. Island _____ e. a small body of water that extends into an area of land

6. Mountains _____ f. a large body of nearly level land

7. River_____ g. an large body of land that rises much higher than surrounding land

8. Gulf _____ h. a large body of mainly fresh water surrounded by land

9. Tributaries _____ i. a small body of land that is higher than the surrounding land

10. Bay _____ j. a body of fresh water that flows from higher to lower land

11. Plain _____ k. small bodies of fresh water that flow into a larger body of fresh water

List the geographic LAND terms from the list above:

1. __________________________

2. __________________________

3. __________________________

4. __________________________

5. __________________________

6. __________________________

List the geographic WATER terms from the list above:

1. _________________________

2. _________________________

3. _________________________

4. _________________________

5. _________________________

7 SIDE 2

Major Bodies of Water

Label the major bodies of water from page 9, then draw a picture that represents the

importance of that body of water.

8

Oceans: Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic

Rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Columbia, Rio Grande, Colorado, St. Lawrence River

Gulf: Gulf of Mexico

Lakes: Five Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior

Gulf: The Gulf of Mexico provided the French and Spanish with Exploration Routes to Mexico and

other parts of America.

Oceans The Pacific Ocean was an early exploration route.

The Atlantic Ocean served as the highway for explorers, early settlers, and later immigrants.

The location of the US with its Atlantic and Pacific Coast has provided access to other areas of

the world.

Lakes Inland port cities grew in the Midwest along the Great Lakes.

Rivers The Rio Grande forms the border with Mexico.

The Colorado River was explored by the Spanish.

The Ohio River was the gateway to the west.

The Columbia River was explored by Lewis and Clark

The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers were the transportation arteries for farm and industrial

products to ocean ports and other parts of the world.

The St. Lawrence River forms part of the northeastern border with Canada and connects the

Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

9

10

Geographic Regions

Coastal Plain Broad lowland providing many

excellent harbors

Located along the Atlantic Ocean and GULF of MEXICO

Great Plains Flat land that gradually increases

in elevation westward; grasslands

Located west of Interior Lowlands and EAST of the Rocky Mountains

Appalachian Highlands Old eroded mountains (oldest

mountain range in NORTH AMERICA)

Located west of the Coastal Plain extending from eastern Canada to western Alabama; including the Piedmont

Rocky Mountains Rugged mountains stretching from

Alaska almost to Mexico; high elevations

Contains the CONTINENTAL DIVIDE which determines the directional flow of rivers

Located west of the Great Plains and east of the Basin and Range

Canadian Shield Wrapped around HUDSON BAY in

a horseshoe shape

Hills worn by erosion and hundreds of lakes carved by GLACIERS

Holds some of the oldest rock formations in North America

Basin and Range Areas of varying elevations

containing isolated mountain ranges and DEATH VALLEY the lowest point in North America

Located west of the Rocky Mountains and east of Sierra Nevadas and the CASCADES

Interior Lowlands Rolling flatlands with many rivers, broad river valleys, and grassy hills

Located west of the APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS and east of the GREAT PLAINS

Coastal Range Rugged mountains along the

Pacific Coast that stretch from CANADA to CALIFORNIA

Contains fertile valleys

11

Geographic Regions of the U.S. Picture Book

Imagine you are taking a trip across the United States. Make a picture book telling the story of your trip. You must cross

five regions out of the eight regions (you pick them), but they must be beside each other. To help you do this, on your

map on page 10, draw your trip route in pencil across five regions. Each student will receive a blank picture book of 10

pages. Use two pages for each region. You must also pick a title for your book to draw on the front cover. DO NOT

WRITE ON THE BACK COVER. Each region must be described using at least two sentences. Each region must be drawn in

your picture book showing what it looks like. Spelling does not count, but you must write in complete sentences.

The following rubric will be used to grade your picture book:

Drawings – 20 points

Neat, colorful drawings – 15-20 points

Not very neat, not completely colored – 10-15 points

Sloppy work, no coloring – 5-10 points

Writing – 20 points

Good, well-written sentences – 15-20 points

Some incomplete thoughts or sentences – 10-15 points

Sloppy writing, illegible or incomplete sentences – 5-10 points

Content – 20 points

Correct description of content – 15-20 points

Some use of content , not always accurate 10-15 points

Incorrect use of content – 5-10 points

12

13 Using your notes from the previous pages, draw the boundaries for the geographic regions,

using the physical features shown on the map. Be sure to label and color the regions

CHAPTER 1: Study Guide

1. Europe and Asia are sometimes referred to as

________________. Eurasia

2. What three oceans have coasts in the US? Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific

3. What are latitude lines? Lines that circle the earth and measure the distance

north and south of the Equator

4. What are longitude lines Lines that stretch from pole to pole and measure

distance east and west of Prime Meridian

5. What is the world’s largest ocean? Pacific

6. Which continent is a also a country?

Australia

7. What ocean circles the continent of Antarctica? Southern

8. What ocean is located near the North Pole? Arctic

9. O degrees latitude is also called _______ Equator

10. O degrees longitude is also called ______ Prime Meridian

11. What is another name for latitude? parallel

12. What is another name for longitude? meridian

13. What is a peninsula? Land surrounded on 3 sides by water

14. What are small bodies of fresh water that flow into a

larger body of fresh water called? tributaries

15. What is a large body of nearly elevated land called? plateau

16. What is a large body of fresh water surrounded by land

called? lake

17. What is a large body of nearly level land called? plain

18. What ocean did European explorers have to cross to reach

America? Atlantic

19. What river is called “The Gateway to the West”? Ohio

20. Which river borders Texas and Mexico? Rio Grande

21. Which river did Lewis and Clark explore? Columbia

22. Name two rivers that empty into the Pacific Ocean. Colorado and Columbia

23. Which river was explored by the Spanish explorers? Colorado

24. What two rivers are used to transport farm and industrial

products to other parts of the world? Mississippi and Missouri

14

25. What water feature was used by the French and Spanish to

explore Mexico and other parts of America? Gulf of Mexico

26. The Great Lakes form the boundary between the US and

what other country? Canada

27. Which ocean was an early exploration destination for

explorers from Europe? Pacific

28. Which river forms part of our border with Canada and

connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean? St. Lawrence

29. What body of water did inland port cities grow around? Great Lakes

30. Draw an outline of the US and label the seven rivers we

studied.

31. What geographic region is located along the Atlantic

Ocean and Gulf of Mexico? Coastal Plain

32. Which region includes Death Valley? Basin and Range

33. Which region is located along the Pacific coast and

contains “fertile valleys”? Coastal Range

34. Which region contains North America’s oldest mountains? Appalachian Highlands

35. What region consists of flat lands that gradually increase

in elevation westward? Great Plains

36. What region is located on the Pacific coast of North

America? Coastal Range

37. Which region extends from western Alabama to eastern

Canada and includes the Piedmont? Appalachian Mountains

38. In what two regions are Virginia located? Coastal Plain and Appalachian Mountains

39. What geographic region has excellent harbors and broad

lowlands? Coastal Plain

40. What region is located west of the Appalachian Highlands

and east of the Great Plains? Interior Lowlands

41. Which region contains the Continental Divide? Rocky Mountains

42. What is the Continental Divide? Determines the directional flow of the rivers

43. What region is wrapped around the Hudson Bay and is in

a shape of a horseshoe? Canadian Shield

44. Which region has rolling flatlands, many rivers, and

grassy hills? Interior Lowlands

45. Which region has hills worn by erosion and hundreds of

glacier carved lakes? Canadian Shield

Author: ___________________________#_____

CH. 1: Notebook Check - Grade 6 U.S. History

GEOGRAPHY

Unless otherwise noted by an asterisk (*), all pages must be completed to receive full credit for class participation and class work completion. Each item is worth 1 points. 15items total.

_____ NB 1 Ch. 1 Title Page

_____ NB 2 Ch. 1 Preview

_____ NB 3 Ch. 1 Vocabulary (ALL pictures drawn)

_____ NB 4 “Tearing Around the World”

_____ NB 5 Continents Map

_____ NB 6 Create-a-Country

_____ NB 7 11 geographical Features

_____ NB 8 Water Body Map

_____ NB 9 Water Bodies

_____ NB 10 Regions Map

_____ NB 11 Regions notes

_____ NB 12 Regions travel log

_____ NB 13 Regions Map drawn

_____ NB 14 Chapter 1 Study guide

_____ NB 15 Notebook Check

TOTAL Score:__________/15

Signature: Notebook Inspector

Signature: Teacher

Author: ___________________________#_____

CH. 1: Notebook Check - Grade 6 U.S. History

GEOGRAPHY

Unless otherwise noted by an asterisk (*), all pages must be completed to receive full credit for class participation and class work completion. Each item is worth 1 points. 15items total.

_____ NB 1 Ch. 1 Title Page

_____ NB 2 Ch. 1 Preview

_____ NB 3 Ch. 1 Vocabulary (ALL pictures drawn)

_____ NB 4 “Tearing Around the World”

_____ NB 5 Continents Map

_____ NB 6 Create-a-Country

_____ NB 7 11 geographical Features

_____ NB 8 Water Body Map

_____ NB 9 Water Bodies

_____ NB 10 Regions Map

_____ NB 11 Regions notes

_____ NB 12 Regions travel log

_____ NB 13 Regions Map drawn

_____ NB 14 Chapter 1 Study guide

_____ NB 15 Notebook Check

TOTAL Score:__________/15

Signature: Notebook Inspector

Signature: Teacher

15 15